Protecting You
by Sazzy260
Summary: When Gibbs finds a young boy in the park, protective instincts automatically kick into high-gear. The story where Gibbs raises Tony as his own son, after saving him from the clutches of DiNozzo Senior - Can tony escape the depravity or will Gibbs have to forever shield the boy from life?
1. Chapter 1

Gibbs stood underneath the Oak Tree at the park in his neighborhood, he'd been coming to the park around midnight every night for the past week; restlessness was eating at him and no amount of bourbon and boat-time seemed to set his stomach or his mind at ease, especially since driving past the park late one night and noticing a young boy who couldn't be more than six sitting on top of the monkey bars caught his eye.

So, every night since then, Gibbs came to the park and watched as the same little boy came to the park at roughly the same hour – Around ten o'clock at night – and would sit on top of the monkey bars, humming a familiar tune and swinging on the bars either from the backs of his knees or from his hands. Tonight, it was no different than any other night, the young boy cut through the woods and went straight over to the monkey bars, except tonight he did not climb up to sit on the monkey bars, tonight he sat on the sand beneath them and stared up at the star-studded sky with a frown on his face.

Gibbs bit back his bottom lip as he observed the small boy, his curiosity getting the better of him, he carefully walked out from underneath the tree and took a seat on the park bench directly in front of the monkey bars, instead of the humming that Gibbs was used too, the young boy was whispering quietly to the dark sky.

" _I never meant to make him mad… I don't know what I did wrong! What do I have to do mommy? What can I do to make Senior see me as his son?_ " the young boy whispered into the darkness, hardly noticing the presence of the older gentlemen sitting on the bench " _He's starting to get rougher… I was used to the spankings, but now… Now-now-…_ " the young boy sniffled and swiped his sleeve across his nose and shook his head, pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his head into his kneecaps.

Gibbs had heard enough, he stood up and crossed the sand and sat down beside the boy, the young boy flinched away and looked up at Gibbs with tear-filled eyes "Nobody should have to go through what you're going through." Gibbs said softly to the young boy.

The young boy shook his head as the fat tears that filled his eyes streamed down his small chubby cheeks, staring at him in disbelief at his statement. Gibbs sighed and reached to his belt, he grabbed the badge hooked to it and showed Tony the belt and his NCIS ID card "I'm a federal agent with NCIS… Have you ever heard of NCIS before?" Gibbs asked softly, the young boy shook his head and took the badge, examining it thoroughly, flipping the leather holder around in his hands slowly. Gibbs noticed the boy trembling and shivering, heard his teeth clattering together helplessly, so he shrugged out of his coat and laid it over the boy's shoulders.

The young boy snuggled into the warmth of the coat and smiled sadly as he handed Gibbs back his badge "'M Tony." The young boy mumbled as he looked up into Gibbs' eyes, his emerald green eyes sparkling in the moonlight hanging above their heads.

"Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs said with a smile as he set a warm hand to Tony's back, Tony flinched again from the touch, but quickly settled back into the warmth of Gibbs' hand and sniffled again, swiping his nose on his sleeve again, "Can I ask you a few questions Tony?" Gibbs asked softly, Tony nodded his head and placed his chin between his kneecaps.

Gibbs sighed, knowing he'd have to keep this to either yes or no questions since Tony didn't seem all too comfortable talking right now, "Does your dad hit you, Tony?" Gibbs asked in the same soft tone, Tony nodded again, keeping his eyes downcast and on the sand beneath his feet "Do you want him to stop?" Gibbs asked, Tony nodded emphatically as he let out a stifled sob into his kneecaps "You know that I can help you with that, right?" Gibbs questioned, keeping his eyes on Tony and his hand on Tony's back. Tony nodded and leaned against Gibbs' side, he opened his mouth and then shut it quickly, "It's okay to talk to me Tony, I won't judge you, I promise." Gibbs said as he wrapped a protective arm around the small boy.

Tony sighed noisily and sat up a bit straighter "Nobody has-has-has ever helped me-me-me before… Why-why-why would you want-want-want to help me?" Tony stuttered pathetically, his voice full of sorrow and dread as he shifted a few times, a few painful gasps escaping his lips as he tried to find a comfortable position.

Gibbs gritted his teeth tightly as he felt ribs from the young boy pressing against his side and his hand, "Because, I like helping people. Especially children who are afraid and cannot speak up to defend themselves against adults." Gibbs said softly as he looked over at Tony, his dirty blond hair long and covering his green eyes from full-view.

Tony nodded and slowly he stood up to his full height of 3'3" and stumbled slightly, Gibbs hand quickly shot out and steadied the boy, "I don't want him to hurt me anymore." Tony whispered sadly as he looked directly into Gibbs' eyes. Gibbs nodded and stood up, holding his hand outward to Tony, who instinctively took it and drew from the protective nature that Gibbs exuded.

Gibbs walked slowly enough for Tony to keep up, each step painstakingly obvious that the boy was suffering from some sort of injury as he limped along beside Gibbs "Would you rather I carry you?" Gibbs asked softly, Tony relented rather quickly and nodded his head, so Gibbs stooped down and carefully lifted Tony up into his arms as he walked towards his own home.

Tony laid his head down against Gibbs' shoulder and within just a few minutes – barely five – Tony was fast asleep and gripping onto Gibbs' polo shirt for dear life as Gibbs continued the short journey back to the house.

When Gibbs woke up the next morning, something felt off, he hopped out of bed and walked into the hallway, noticing that the guest bedroom door was wide open, and Tony was no longer in the bed, he quietly walked downstairs and stopped dead in his tracks at the wide-open front door, his heart dropped to his feet and threatened to sink through the floor boards as his face went pale and his hands trembled with fear as he stepped over the threshold and out onto the front porch.

Tony was nowhere in sight and Gibbs feared that something bad had happened to Tony, he quickly ran back upstairs and changed into a pair of jeans and a fresh white _Hanes_ T-Shirt, collected his keys, wallet and cellphone – Dialing Vance as he ran back down the stairs – he told his boss that he would be taking the day off because of an emergency that popped up, and no question was asked. Gibbs quickly got into his Challenger and then began slowly driving through the neighborhood, around the park and then the other side of the neighborhood where he saw Tony come from numerous times over the past week.

Nothing, he found absolutely no sign of the young boy who had rather quickly took up a place inside of Gibbs' heart, all he knew about the boy was that his name was Tony, and that he was obviously his father's namesake, making him a junior. Gibbs pulled his cellphone out of his pocket as he sat in the Challenger next to the park and dialed up his best friend and agency arch-nemesis, Tobias Fornell of the FBI.

Tobias answered his cellphone on the third ring " _Gibbs, what can I do for you at… Six-forty-five in the morning?_ " Tobias asked tiredly into the phone.

Gibbs shook his head, he hadn't even thought about the hour with the worry plaguing his mind and gut "Tobias – I need your help… I don't have a whole hell of a lot to go on… But there is this kid, his name is Tony Junior… Probably Anthony or Antonio, something like that – He's being physically abused by his father… I've been watching him – the kid – for the past week, coming to the park in my neighborhood, at nearly midnight, every night… and last night I finally decided to trust my gut and ask him if he needed help – He readily accepted the help to get out from underneath his father's thumb, then this morning when I woke up – He was completely gone, left without a trace, I searched the entire neighborhood and the next over, and there is just absolutely no sign of him!" Gibbs practically spilled his guts, taking heavy breaths as he laid his forehead against the steering wheel.

Tobias had to hold back the laughter bubbling in his stomach from the sheer amount of words that just filled his ear – knowing Gibbs hardly ever speaks, and just quite literally talked his ear off – but the situation sounded rather serious so Tobias schooled himself and straightened up in his bed "Okay, relax Jethro – I'm sure there is some sort of trace of the boy at your house… Fingerprints, DNA if he drools… Hair follicles and that such…" Tobias said reasonably, almost seeing Gibbs in his minds' eye nodding his head and the lightbulb flickering on above Gibbs' head "I'll come over there in about twenty minutes with the kit, and we'll comb through your house Jethro…" Tobias stated.

Gibbs grunted his approval and then slapped his phone shut, he revved the Challengers engine and then did a one-eighty in the middle of the road, tearing through the neighborhood and back to his house at his normal breakneck speed. Gibbs ran into the house a few minutes later and up the stairs as he stared into the guest bedroom, and nearly cried out in laughter at the sight before him.

Tony was back in the bed and curled around the jacket that Gibbs gave him last night, Gibbs quietly walked into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed "Hey… Tony, you awake buddy?" Gibbs asked softly, Tony nodded and mumbled something incoherent against the inside of Gibbs' jacket "Tony, where did you go? I was… I was worried about you!" Gibbs said softly.

Tony grumbled again as he slowly sat up and stared at Gibbs with red-rimmed eyes, "I got scared… at first… I thought maybe Senior had found me… the front door, it opened on its own… and I was scared to go down the stairs… so I came back and hid in the bathroom under the cabinets… Until I heard the front door shut and I saw you leave…" Tony whispered as he looked down at his feet, Gibbs chuckled quietly as he reached up and brushed a gentle hand through Tony's surprisingly soft dirty blonde hair.

"I guess I didn't shut the door tight enough last night, the wind must have blown it open." Gibbs explained quietly, Tony nodded and sniffled as he rested his chin between his kneecaps "Tony, I have a friend who is going to be coming over soon – He's a federal agent like me… Is it okay if he helps us figure out how to protect you from your father?" Gibbs asked quietly, Tony nodded as he shifted closer to Gibbs and snuggled comfortably into his side, whispering 'S okay' into Gibbs' side.

If there was one thing Tobias Fornell hated, child abuse cases were the one thing he hated the most – Being a father of a little girl, he could not imagine nor fathom ever striking her intentionally. Even with a clear guided purpose, he could not bring himself to punishing Emily with spankings or physical punishment and easily resorted to Time-Outs and groundings when Emily got old enough. Now, sitting at the coffee table with Gibbs and Five-Year old Tony who could hardly look up at the two men and continually fiddled with his fingers, Tobias was ready to tear through whatever man had destroyed this young boy's life so early on.

"Anthony Dante DiNozzo Senior, that's his full name." Tony whispered hoarsely as he picked at the chipped epoxy on Gibbs' dining table, his bottom lip quivering slightly.

Tobias gritted his teeth tightly as he stared at the low-hung head of dirty blonde, and then over at Gibbs who was tense and his knuckles were stress-white as he gripped onto the top of the chair Tony was occupying "Gibbs, could we speak in the other room?" Tobias asked tersely, nodding towards the kitchen, Gibbs nodded and turned towards Tony.

"We'll just be in the other room, you going to be okay?" Gibbs asked softly, Tony nodded as he glanced up at Gibbs and smiled, it wasn't a genuine smile but it was enough for Gibbs to know that Tony would be fine for a few minutes.

Tobias and Gibbs stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and looking at Tony who sat dejectedly in the dining chair across the room "His father's name is highly familiar… Something to either do with Espionage and Racketeering. Think he is a member of the _Gambino_ _Mafioso_ faction here. If Tony knows _anything_ about his father's dealings, Gibbs, we could potentially shut down a **very** notorious and dangerous family on the East Coast." Tobias whispered, forcefully keeping his tone even and low so it did not carry to Tony in the other room.

Gibbs grunted and shook his head tiredly "And you expect me to willingly let you subject Tony to reliving his days back with his father? As short as they may have been, he is only five Tobias, how much do you _really_ think he knows?" Gibbs asked just as quietly, Tobias shrugged his shoulders and turned to his friend briefly.

"Only one way to find out." Tobias stated as he turned back into the dining room and sat down across from Tony once more, Gibbs followed Tobias back into the room and sat down beside Tony, setting a reassuring hand on Tony's shoulder, Tony looked up at Gibbs questioningly then over at Tobias with a frown on his face.

Tony furrowed his brows and went back to plucking at the epoxy coating "You want to know about Senior's friends… and the bad stuff that they do?" Tony asked dejectedly, as if he has been through this before, on numerous occasions. Gibbs tensed at Tony's tone and watched as Tobias tensed slightly as well.

Tobias cleared his throat and nodded "Do you know anything about what Senior does, Tony?" Tobias asked softly, Tony nodded his head and looked up at Tobias with a serious expression on his face.

"I've seen, and heard a lot of things – My da-… father, is not a good man Mr. Fornell. He ignores me a lot, so whenever he has friends over, I can easily slip into a room where he is, and go unnoticed for hours… Sometimes da-… father, catches me and he creates these scenarios… where I need to pretend… that I'm being questioned by guys like you and Mr. Gibbs… and Senior tells me what to say if I'm ever questioned…" Tony said quietly as he shifted uncomfortably in the hard wooden chair, and with an expressionless tone and features, Tony went on to tell Gibbs and Tobias all the things he had heard and seen – from his father extorting business men and politician's to breaking and removing digits from people's hands who went against ' _The Family Rules_ ' "And that's why I stayed quiet… and out of the way most of the time… because I didn't want to lose any fingers! I just listened to what Senior told me to do, and I did it to the best of my abilities!" Tony proclaimed as he shifted again on the chair.


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs and Tobias stared at each other for long moments after Tony related the details of his father's crimes, while Tony finally left and was now lying down upstairs once again, "We have to bring in the teams for this, Gibbs… There's no way around it… This is obviously bigger than we both imagined." Tobias stated quietly after what felt like hours of silence.

Gibbs nodded tiredly as he scrubbed a hand down his face "I just thought I was helping a child get away from an abusive father – I never thought I'd stumble upon a damned mafia Tobias…" Gibbs said, exhaustion clear in his tone as he rested his head in his hands, a deep frown creasing his face.

Tobias nodded and chuckled ruefully as he stood up and clasped Gibbs' shoulder "I'll call my director and yours, then we'll meet in the basement tonight – How does that sound?" Tobias asked, concern obvious in his voice. Gibbs nodded and patted Tobias' hand as he stood up and walked him to the door.

Gibbs turned around and smiled slightly at Tony who was now standing halfway up the steps, "You hungry?" Gibbs asked curiously, Tony nodded and bounded down the stairs, slipping his hand into Gibbs' outstretched hand "How about pancakes? They're my favorite when I'm feeling a little sad." Gibbs said softly, Tony looked up at Gibbs questioningly, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Never had them before, but… I will give them a chance." Tony said quietly as he walked into the kitchen with Gibbs and giggled as he was picked up and placed on top of the counters.

Gibbs stared at Tony for a few seconds, "You look like a strawberry and blueberry type! Do you like strawberries and blueberries Tony?" Gibbs asked with a raised eyebrow. Tony giggled and nodded again as he jumped up to his feet on the counter and grabbed Gibbs' shoulders tightly, or, at least as tightly as a five-year old could.

"Uh huh! And, and, I like banana's and peaches! And oranges too! I love fruits!" Tony exclaimed happily, Gibbs laughed and wrapped his arms around Tony's small legs and lifted him up "I like vegabbles too! Mommy said vegabbles make little boys grow big and strong!" Tony said, at first his tone was exuberant and sparkling, until mention of his mother, and his tone turned saddened.

Gibbs sighed and held Tony close "Your mommy is in heaven, isn't she?" Gibbs asked quietly, Tony nodded and sniffled as he curled into himself against Gibbs' chest, hot tears sinking into Gibbs' shirt as Tony let out heart-wrenching sobs.

Several heartbreaking minutes later, Tony was finally calmed back down, his body still trembling from the aftermath of the sobs, and Gibbs just held onto Tony and gently rocked him from side to side, whispering assurances in Tony's ear to calm him down "'M Sorry. I… I'm not… not allowed to cry…" Tony mumbled as he pulled himself out of Gibbs' arms and sat down at the kitchen table.

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a frustrated breath as he walked over to Tony and squatted in front of him "You have nothing to apologize for, Tony. And you can absolutely cry in this house, whenever you want Tony, understand me?" Gibbs asked softly.

Tony nodded and swiped his sleeve across his nose and dried away his tears, his stomach rumbled loudly and he set his small hands against it, giggling slightly "My tummy is still hungry Mr. Gibbs, can we still have those pancakes?" Tony asked shyly, Gibbs laughed and hugged Tony lightly and then nodded.

* * *

Several hours later, Gibbs was sitting in the basement with Tony sitting beside him, Fornell, Director Vance and Director Reed from the FBI, Tony had already recounted what he told Fornell and Gibbs to the two directors, and now they were sitting, flabbergasted and all just a bit more pissed than they wanted to be.

"When I left here… I called a friend at Metro… and nobody has put out an Amber alert for Tony yet." Fornell said quietly, twisting an untouched mason jar of bourbon in his fingertips.

Gibbs shook his head and wrapped an arm around Tony, "I honestly didn't expect anyone to do that, Tobias… from all that Tony has told us, there's just… I don't think anyone in that house will even notice he's gone." Gibbs said sadly, Tony sniffled and stood up next to Gibbs, setting a small hand against the big man's shoulder.

"You're not going to send me back, are you?" Tony whispered sadly as he looked directly at Gibbs, a frown forming on his face.

Gibbs inhaled deeply, glancing at the two directors and his best friend before refocusing on Tony, "No, Tony. As of right now, you're under witness protection. Do you know what that means?" Gibbs asked softly, Tony shook his head, his bottom lip quivering slightly, Gibbs smiled and chucked Tony underneath his chin "That means that me, and Tobias, Leon and Martin here are going to help keep you safe, and you will never have to go back to your father's house again." Gibbs said sincerely as he held Tony close to him.

Tony nodded tiredly against Gibbs' shoulder "Don't wanna go back." Tony whispered just as tiredly.

Gibbs smiled as he wrapped an arm around Tony's back and slowly stood up "If you all will excuse me, it is well past nap time I do believe." Gibbs said as he carried Tony up the stairs of the basement, leaving the directors and Tobias to talk.

* * *

Tobias sighed as he scrubbed his hands over his bald head and shook slightly "This is so fucked up." Tobias stated boldly as he looked up at Vance and Martin.

Martin nodded his head raggedly "No kidding – But, does Gibbs realize he can't keep the promises he's making… Tony's going to have to go back. And – Tobias – Before you begin protesting… I understand what this means, but… Gibbs can't honestly think he can just take the kid like that… I mean, it's practically kidnapping, and I cannot condone it, and I know Vance won't hear of it either." Martin said, looking over at Vance.

Vance shook his head "He can't keep him… Not unless by some miracle Tony is placed under our direct care." Vance stated as he slowly stood up from the sawhorse he had been sitting on, stretching out his tightened muscles.

Tobias frowned slightly as he nodded his head "I'll be the one to tell him… He'll take it better from me." Tobias said as he stood up and headed for the stairs, Vance and Martin both nodded and shook hands, following Tobias upstairs – Where Tobias continued up to the second floor, Vance and Martin left the house both to return to their respective agencies.

As Tobias stood outside of the guest bedroom, watching Gibbs quietly talk to Tony, a million things were going through his head, and none of the outcomes were good. Tobias smiled slightly when he watched Tony hug Gibbs closely, and Gibbs laid Tony back down into the bed, kissing his forehead and tucking him in comfortably.

Gibbs came out of the bedroom, pulling the door shut as he looked at Tobias with a sullen expression "I have a feeling I already know what you're going to say… But I'm telling you, Tobias, if _anything_ happens to that little boy because we send him back… I will kill you, and I will use all the resources at my disposal to do so." Gibbs threatened in a low tone.

Tobias nodded in understanding and cupped Gibbs' shoulder firmly "We'll try and keep him as safe as possible, Gibbs. We're going to nail this bastard and then… You can have your chance." Tobias said as he released Gibbs' shoulder and walked away, his own shoulders slumped as he descended the stairs.

* * *

Gibbs sat dejectedly outside of the guest bedroom, his arms dangled over his bent knees and his hung held low against his chest as he contemplated how he was going to explain this to Tony without breaking the five-year-olds heart completely. Gibbs knew there was no way around the heartbreak that was going to come, so he squared his shoulders and stood up, he entered the bedroom quietly and stood at the foot of the bed, watching as Tony squirmed restlessly on the bed, whimpering loudly as tears slid down the young boys face involuntarily.

Gibbs carefully sat on the edge of the bed and rested a hand on Tony's shoulder "Tony, hey… Hey wake up, sweet boy." Gibbs said softly, Tony whimpered even louder as he curled up against Gibbs' side, sobbing into the older man's thigh as he held his leg tightly, Gibbs sighed as he ran a soothing hand up and down Tony's back, whispering softly to calm him down.

After several minutes, Tony finally opened his eyes and looked up at Gibbs with tear-filled eyes, the small emerald orbs shining with the unshed tears, Gibbs frowned as he lifted Tony up into his arms and held him close to his chest, rocking Tony as he sat back against the headboard, "I'm so sorry Tony… I… I'm so sorry." Gibbs whispered hoarsely as his own tears threatened to fall and choke him out.

Tony sniffled as he laid his head against Gibbs' chest, "You promised." Tony whispered so low that Gibbs had to strain to hear the words "You sa-sa-sa-said, I wo-wo-wouldn't have-have-have to go-go-go back!" Tony stuttered out, his small fist bunching in Gibbs' polo.

Gibbs inhaled deeply as he hugged Tony to him tighter, "I know, I know… Tony, I wish I didn't have to… God, I really don't want to do it… But… This is the only way… to… stop your father from hurting more people. Tobias and I are going to try our hardest to keep you safe, do you believe me?" Gibbs asked softly as he ran his hand up and down Tony's back slowly.

Tony nodded as he continued clutching Gibbs' chest, errant tears continuing to streak down his cheeks, "I… I be-be-believe you." Tony said quietly as he rocked himself in Gibbs' arms, beginning to hum quietly to himself. Gibbs smiled sadly as he held onto Tony.

"We'll get through this Tony, I promised I would protect you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do." Gibbs promised as he kissed the top of Tony's head lightly, Tony nodded as he loosened his grip on Gibbs' shirt and inhaled deeply.

"When do I have to go back?" Tony asked quietly, swiping his sleeve across his face to clear the tears and snot as he looked up at Gibbs with a frown.

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders as he leaned over and grabbed a tissue, gently swiping the bottom of Tony's nose, "I have to take you back before six o'clock. So, we still have a few hours to hang out – Would you like to go to the park?" Gibbs asked softly.

Tony nodded sadly as he stood up "I've never been to the park during the day… Do you think it looks different from the night time?" Tony asked quietly as he slid off the bed and held his hand out to Gibbs.

Gibbs laughed as he took Tony's hand and shrugged "Don't know, I've never been to the park during the day either. Guess we'll find out!" Gibbs said, mustering up the best smile despite the breaking heart inside of him.

* * *

Tony and Gibbs sat on top of the monkey bars and stared down at the sand below them, Tony was humming quietly to himself and Gibbs was trying his hardest not to lose control of his emotions as he kept stealing glances at the little boy who had stolen his heart in just under twenty-four hours. The sun was slowly setting and casting an ethereal orange glow across the park, Tony giggled to himself as he swung backwards by his knees on the bars and swung back and forth, Gibbs laughed as he looked down at Tony with a grin on his face.

"I'm going to be okay." Tony said softly, breaking the silence that had fallen upon them for two hours.

Gibbs nodded his head as he slowly lowered himself backwards to hang upside down with Tony "I know you will, you're very strong for your age Tony. And, you know where I live if you should _ever_ need me. You do remember how to get there, don't you?" Gibbs asked softly as he looked over at Tony.

Tony nodded and smiled brightly "Mhm, I remember how. I cut through the trees over there… Walk down Mt. Zephyr Road… Walk down Laurel until I come to 505." Tony recited with a smile on his face.

Gibbs smiled and nodded as he reached over and ruffled Tony's dirty blond hair affectionately "That's some good work, Tony. My door will _always_ be open for you, if you need me." Gibbs said, inhaling deeply, steeling himself against the wave of emotion coursing through his body.

Tony frowned as he dropped off the monkey bars with a graceful flip and looked directly at Gibbs "Bye Jethro." Tony said softly as he set a small hand against Gibbs' cheek, then quickly running off through the woods, swiping at his face as he ran.

Gibbs stayed on the monkey bars and watched as Tony took off, tears welling up in his eyes and running down the sides of his face as the little boy disappeared into the depths of the woods. He finally flipped off the bars and walked over to the bench, sitting down and cradling his head in his hands as he outright sobbed into his palms. By the time Gibbs left the park, the moon was shining brightly over the park, his fists shoved into his pockets as he quietly walked the route back to his house; _Twenty-four hours, that's how long I have known Anthony DiNozzo Junior, and I already feel so alone… How can I be so emotionally invested in this little boy, when I hardly know him?_ Gibbs thought, shaking his head as he walked down to the basement and closed himself away from the world with his bottle of bourbon and boat.


	3. Chapter 3

The weeks after Gibbs had to give Tony back to his father had been stressful, he was angry and unrelenting in tasks that he gave out at work, nobody was save around Gibbs as his anger and frustration grew to new heights. There were only two people Gibbs would talk to calmly enough, Ducky and Abby were his confidants in this entire heartbreaking fiasco. Ducky of course knew more than Gibbs had told Abby, for the sake of trying to protect the woman who he saw as his daughter, but even sometimes his anger was directed at them when things were exceptionally stressful. Every night Gibbs would go to the park after work, sitting underneath the monkey bars and wouldn't leave until well after midnight, he hadn't seen Tony since the little boy ran out of his life, and it was tearing Gibbs' heart apart little by little.

Gibbs leaned back in his computer chair at his desk, covering his face with his hands and scrubbing at his eyes tiredly, the rest of the MCRT were asleep at their desks, waiting on results to their searches. They'd been working on a case nearly non-stop for the past three days, and all were taxed to their limits.

Vance walked through the bullpen and stood over Gibbs' desk "Gibbs." Vance said quietly, so his voice wouldn't carry to the sleeping members of Gibbs' team.

Gibbs pulled his hands down from his face and stared up at Vance, "Yeah?" Gibbs asked tiredly as he sat up and rolled his neck slightly to release the tension that has built up.

Vance shook his head as he squatted down, "Fornell just called – You need to get to the DiNozzo house, immediately." Vance told him, keeping his voice low.

Gibbs stared at Vance, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest as he grabbed onto the desk "What… Why? What happened?!" Gibbs asked, his voice rising slightly, Vance shook his head slowly and shrugged his shoulders. Gibbs sighed shakily as he pushed away from his desk, quickly collecting his gun and badge, "Okay…" Gibbs said as he pulled on his jacket and quickly left the bullpen, racing down the stairs that would lead him to the garage.

Gibbs pulled his cellphone out and set it to his ear as he ran across the garage towards the NCIS motor pool, he slid into one of the Chargers and sighed as Tobias answered finally " _Gibbs, I can-…_ " Tobias tried speaking, but a loud sob echoed through the phone " _I can't exactly talk right now! I just need you to hurry up and get here!_ " Tobias shouted over the earth-shattering wails of what Gibbs could only decipher as what sounded like a cat being strangled.

* * *

Gibbs drove at breakneck speeds to Woodley Hills neighborhood, on the more glamorous side where the three story gated homes were located, he pulled into the driveway where several FBI SUV's were parked, and a patty wagon sat. Gibbs raced past the vehicles, FBI Agents who tried stopping him, and through the opened double doors. Listening intently, Gibbs followed the sounds of the high-pitched wails, and Tobias who was trying to give orders while simultaneously trying to calm the wailing Tony.

Gibbs' heart broke as he walked into the great room and saw Tony clinging to Tobias' body, screaming and crying into the man's chest, "Tony!" Gibbs shouted over the wails to get the young boy's attention, Tony lifted his head out of Tobias' chest and quickly dropped from the haggard FBI agent's arms and raced over to Gibbs, throwing himself into the man's opened arms, "It's okay. I'm here now, Tony. I've got you sweet boy." Gibbs said reassuringly as he cradled Tony's head against his chest and looked straight at Tobias.

Gibbs sat on the floor with Tony in his lap, gently rocking and shushing the child to calm him down, his anger coiling relentlessly at the blood stained clothes that Tony was wearing, and the tremors that wracked his small body. Tony hiccupped slightly as he clutched onto Gibbs' shirt, "He… He… He killed… killed her…" Tony stuttered through hiccups, "All-all-all she did… was-was-was give me-me-me a cookie… I… I haven't… had-had-had anything to-to-to eat… He-he-he wouldn't let me-me-me have dinner to-to-night!" Tony cried into Gibbs' chest, Tobias stood by and wrote down everything that Tony said, since this would be the first time since the boy had opened his mouth.

Gibbs gritted his teeth as he gently rubbed his hand up and down Tony's back lightly, Gibbs inhaled deeply and looked up at Tobias pleadingly, all of his investigative skills seemingly gone as he held onto Tony and gently rocked him, Tobias bent down beside Gibbs and Tony "Why wouldn't he let you eat dinner Tony?" Tobias asked softly, keeping the questions easy.

Tony shook his head and sniffled loudly "I… I… I walked in… on him… when he was-was talking… to the-the… guy in the… blue shirt…" Tony said, his voice wavering heavily "I-I-I didn't mean too! I didn't… I didn't know he was in there! I swear I didn't!" Tony stated adamantly, tears silently trailing down his cheeks.

Tobias inhaled deeply as he sat down, notepad on his knee as he continued taking notes "Do you know what they were talking about?" Tobias asked softly, making sure to avoid eye-contact with Tony to keep him talking.

Tony hiccupped slightly and nodded "Something… about-about a deal… they were… going to sell… big guns to-to-to the… Horsemen…" Tony stammered out, continuing to soak Gibbs' shirt with the hot tears riding down his face.

Tobias nodded as he patted Tony's knee softly "Thank you Tony, you are such a brave boy." Tobias said softly as he stood up and nodded towards Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded slowly as he slowly stood up with Tony in his arms "I'm going to head back to NCIS – If you need me… Just head over there." Gibbs said as he carefully pulled his arms out of his jacket and covered Tony's body with the coat "And, perhaps you could collect some things for him?" Gibbs asked, nodding down to Tony who was now falling asleep against Gibbs chest, Tobias nodded and clapped Gibbs' on the shoulder.

* * *

Gibbs walked into NCIS with Tony in his arms, he'd fallen asleep on the car ride over and stayed asleep as Gibbs lifted him out of the backseat and walked into the bullpen, Vance was sitting in Gibbs' desk chair, and breathed out a sigh of relief as he stood up. Gibbs shook his head as he sat down at his desk, Tony whimpered and stirred slightly in Gibbs' arms, "Shhh, its okay Tony… I've still got you." Gibbs whispered reassuringly against Tony's head.

"Should I ask?" Vance asked quietly as he watched Gibbs gently rock back and forth in his chair to keep Tony calm.

Gibbs shook his head and pulled the jacket away from Tony's body, revealing the blood-soaked clothes that Tony was wearing "I wouldn't." Gibbs stated as he dropped his jacket on the floor underneath his desk, "Tony, do you want to change your clothes?" Gibbs asked softly, Tony nodded tiredly against his chest, stifling a yawn against Gibbs.

Tony slowly crawled out of Gibbs lap, looking down at his blood-stained clothes, a shrill yelp filling the air as he tried brushing away the dried stains from his shirt "No! No, no, no! I'm going to be in trouble! He'll hurt me! He will! He doesn't like dirty clothes!" Tony shouted as he continued trying to brush away the blood.

Gibbs got down to his knees and grabbed Tony by the shoulders, turning the frantic child to face him "Tony… Hey, Tony! Calm down! He can't hurt you anymore… He's going to jail, remember? You saw him in handcuffs! He can't hurt you." Gibbs said as he pulled Tony to his chest and ran a soothing hand up and down the boys back.

McGee tentatively stepped forward, holding an NCIS T-Shirt in his hand, "I have… this shirt… boss… If he wants to wear it." McGee stated, stammering through his sentence.

Gibbs nodded as he took the shirt and slung it over his shoulder, Tony leaned against Gibbs' chest and let the older man remove his pants and T-Shirt slowly. McGee gasped as he stared at the bruised body of the child "Good lord." Vance muttered as he watched on helplessly.

Gibbs closed his eyes tightly as he placed the discarded clothes on the floor and then carefully pulled the T-Shirt on over Tony's head, "There, all better." Gibbs said softly as he carded his fingers through Tony's hair lightly, Tony nodded as he wrapped his arms around Gibbs' neck and clung onto him tightly. Gibbs stood back up, wrapping a protective arm around Tony's back, "McGee, bag those clothes in an evidence bag and hold onto them until Fornell shows up." Gibbs instructed as he stepped away from his desk and walked out of the bullpen with Tony in his arms.

* * *

Hours had passed since Gibbs picked Tony up from his house, he'd been asleep the entire time, and Gibbs had been slowly walking the halls of NCIS the entire time. Gibbs' entire body felt like a ton of bricks as he walked down the same hall that he'd been down three times in the past hour – There wasn't a whole lot of places to walk in the building.

Vance came up behind Gibbs and called out to him "GIBBS!" he nearly shouted as he ran down the hall trying to catch up with his agent.

Gibbs growled as he shifted Tony on his chest. Every time someone had snuck up on Gibbs and called out his name to get his attention, Tony had inevitably wet himself, and thoroughly wet Gibbs' shirt, "Damn it…" Gibbs muttered under his breath as he turned to look at Vance, a scowl firmly in place.

Vance swallowed slightly as he looked at the wet stain on Gibbs' shirt "Jesus…" Vance breathed out as his pinched his nose "What's going on here?" Vance asked, finally releasing his nose as he glanced over Gibbs' body, taking in the tired look in the senior agent's face, the slumped shoulders and the obvious pee stain on his shirt.

"Nothing is going on! I'm just _trying_ to keep Tony calm, but every time someone walks up to me… Tony ends up wetting himself, he's scared to death Leon, and I seem to be the _only_ person who can effectively comfort him." Gibbs ground out, keeping his voice low as he rocked Tony from side to side soothingly

Vance shook his head as he leaned against the wall "I'm sorry, I didn't know he was this vulnerable." Vance said apologetically, Gibbs nodded as he leaned against the other wall, "Fornell and his team finally finished up at the house… He's on his way over here to talk to you – You should probably think about taking a shower and getting presentable." Vance informed him as he glanced down at Gibbs' stomach again.

Gibbs nodded as he rubbed a hand up and down Tony's back, "Alright… I'm going to take Tony down to see Ducky, see if I can't get Tony cleaned up with Ducky's help." Gibbs stated tiredly as he pushed off the wall and headed towards the elevator quietly.

* * *

Gibbs walked into Autopsy quietly, still rocking Tony from side to side, Ducky was sitting at the small desk along the wall "Ah, Jethro – Is this the youngest member of your team?" Ducky asked, his Scottish brogue a soothing contrast to everyone who had talked to Gibbs today.

Gibbs nodded as he leaned against one of the tables, "Yeah Duck. This is Anthony, but he prefers Tony." Gibbs said in Ducky's direction, then turned to look down at Tony "Tony, do you want to meet Ducky? He's a really good friend of mine." Gibbs asked softly as he brushed Tony's hair off his forehead.

Tony nodded as he turned around in Gibbs' arms and looked over at the Scotsmen with a small and shy smile on his face "Hello." Tony said quietly, then turned back into Gibbs' chest, snuggling in close.

Ducky smiled as he stood up and walked over to Gibbs and Tony "My, young Anthony, you are quite a handsome little devil." Ducky said softly as he gently patted Tony's leg, Tony giggled as he lifted his head up again and looked down at Ducky.

Gibbs smiled as he pulled Tony's hair out of his face again and pressed a gentle kiss against the young boy's temple "Tony, would you be okay if Ducky took care of you for a few minutes? I have to go change and take a shower." Gibbs asked, biting his bottom lip tightly. Tony turned and looked at Gibbs with a frown, but nodded his head slowly as he turned back to Ducky and easily transferred into the older gentleman's opened arms, "Thanks Ducky, I appreciate this – and if you could uhm…" Gibbs said questioningly, waving a helpless hand in the air.

Ducky nodded his head and smiled warmly at Gibbs, "Take your time Jethro. Young Anthony and I will get acquainted while you handle business." Ducky said reassuringly as he carried Tony towards his inner office, "What do you say to taking a nice warm shower, Tony?" Ducky asked as he entered the bathroom in his office, Tony nodded as he glanced over Ducky's shoulder at Gibbs. Gibbs nodded at Tony reassuringly and then slipped out of Autopsy.

* * *

When Gibbs returned to Autopsy thirty minutes later, a wide smile crossed his face at the sound of Tony giggling filled the air around him, he leaned quietly against the doorframe and watched as Ducky regaled Tony with a long-winded story, and Tony continued giggling and asking questions inquisitively, learning as much as he could from Ducky's story.

Ducky looked up at Gibbs and smiled softly, "Look whose here." Ducky said as he tapped Tony's knee softly.

Tony quickly turned his head and giggled even more as he hopped off Ducky's desk and raced over to Gibbs, launching himself into the arms of his guardian, "Ducky is the bestest!" Tony exclaimed happily as he hugged Gibbs tightly.

Gibbs laughed as he wrapped his arms around Tony's body lightly and kissed his temple softly "You like Ducky's stories huh?" Gibbs asked softly, Tony nodded rapidly as he looked over at Ducky quickly and then back towards Gibbs.

"Did you know Ducky was in the military too?!" Tony asked excitedly, his eyes bright with excitement, Gibbs nodded enthusiastically as he moved to sit down on the couch with Tony in his lap "He was a paramedic in the British Army! He helped lots and lots of people!" Tony continued recapping the story excitedly.

Gibbs grinned as he listened to Tony ramble aimlessly about Ducky's stories, often times bouncing from one story to another. Gibbs tried keeping up with the tennis-match of words flowing out of Tony's mouth, and nodding, gave input when required and just generally let the excitement from the young boy fill his heart up.

Abby quietly came into the room, smiling as she watched Gibbs with the boy, "Ah, my dear Abigail, have you come to meet the insatiable young Anthony?" Ducky asked as he stood up from his desk, Abby nodded as she walked into Ducky's office and pulled a small box out from behind her back.

"I also brought a gift for the little tyke." Abby said as she held the box outward to Tony and Gibbs. Tony's eyes went wide as he stared at the box in Abby's hands then up at the Goth, giggling as he bounded up to his feet in Gibbs' lap, Gibbs gasped sharply as he moved Tony's foot out of his groin, Abby cringed slightly "I think you stepped on something precious Tony!" Abby said, trying hard not to giggle.

Tony quickly scrambled off Gibbs' lap, standing on the far end of the couch, his bottom lip quivering as he stared at Gibbs who was breathing a little heavier "I… I'm… I'm sorry!" Tony squeaked out as he jumped off the couch and ran out of the office and through the doors to Autopsy.

"Damn it!" Gibbs growled as he stood up slowly, adjusting his pained groin slightly and then quickly taking off after Tony, but the boy was nowhere in sight and Gibbs groaned loudly as he dropped against the wall, inhaling deeply as he tried thinking where Tony might have gone to hide.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Gibbs walked back into Autopsy after searching each floor thoroughly "I couldn't find him anywhere…" Gibbs reported quietly as he slumped against one of the tables, a heavy frown on his face.

Vance laughed as he walked out of Ducky's office with Tony in his arms, "Good thing I found him – He was trying to get into MTAC… So, I took him in and we talked to SecNav together." Vance said with a grin on his face.

Tony giggled as she hugged Vance briefly and then squirmed out of his arms and rushed over to Gibbs, tugging on his pant leg slightly, Gibbs lowered down and looked Tony square in the eyes "Did I hurt you?" Tony asked softly, his bottom lip quivering slightly.

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head slowly "You could never hurt me, Tony. When you're older though, you'll understand what happened. Where you put your foot, is very sensitive for men, so sometimes it _does_ hurt, but… You could never intentionally hurt me, you understand?" Gibbs asked softly as he brushed Tony's cheek with his fingers lightly.

Tony nodded as he wrapped his arms around Gibbs' neck and sighed softly "I understand. I'll watch my feet next time! Because… that did look like it hurt just a little." Tony whispered as he released Gibbs and looked straight at him "Sec… SecNav is _really_ cool! He said I could…could… come visit his office. Anytime I wanted too!" Tony exclaimed happily.

Gibbs laughed as he stood up and swung Tony up into his arms "And who exactly would you like taking you to go visit SecNav?" Gibbs asked as he looked up at Tony who was scrambling to sit on Gibbs' shoulder.

Tony shrugged slightly as he wrapped his arms around Gibbs' forehead and sat on his shoulder "I thought you would do it! I thought we were going to do everything together!" Tony exclaimed as he looked down at Gibbs with a smile on his face.

Gibbs nodded as he patted Tony's thighs lightly "I guess we'll speak to Jarvis and set up an appointment for some time this week then. I bet you that Fornell would _love_ to give you a tour of the FBI building also. Would you like that?" Gibbs asked softly, Tony nodded his head and leaned over, laying his head against Gibbs' head, a loud yawn escaping his mouth "Alright… I think we've had enough excitement for the day, perhaps we should head home and get a nap?" Gibbs asked as he glanced upwards at Tony who was nodding his head again.


	4. Chapter 4

The week went by in a blur for Gibbs as he and Tobias tried piecing together all the major players of the _Gambino_ _Family_ , as well as caring for Tony and helping him through the worst of his anxiety and the nightmares that constantly woke up him. Gibbs and Tobias would take turns staying in the guest bedroom with Tony, soothing the young boy when nightmares would plague his mind, all three were exhausted from sleepless nights, but somehow Tony always managed to brighten their day just a bit more with his 'class-clown' act.

Tony ran down the stairs and grinned widely as he held out a DVD box to Gibbs, "Can we, pleaseee?" Tony begged as he bounced up and down on his bare feet.

Gibbs grabbed the DVD box and examined the title, "The Lion King, again? Tony, you've watched this movie _at least_ three dozen times since I bought it!" Gibbs said, protesting half-heartedly.

Tony pouted out his bottom lip and sniffled slightly "I know! But-but-but… I like the movie! It's... It's really funny!" Tony countered, holding his ground firmly.

Gibbs sighed as he caved, "Alright fine… We'll watch it." Gibbs said as he opened the jewel case and headed to the DVD player and flat screen TV that Tobias insisted on buying – 'It's not for you, Gibbs, it's for Tony!' Tobias told him. Gibbs shook his head as he started up the DVD and sat down on the couch.

Tony giggled as he bounced up onto the couch and waited for the beginning of the movie patiently, "Naaaaaants ingonyamaaa bagithi babaaaaa" Tony belted out at the top of his lungs, grinning widely "From the day we arrive on the planet… and blinking, step into the sun! There's more to see, then can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be doneee!" Tony sang along with the beginning song, in a beautiful countertenor tone.

Gibbs laughed as he watched Tony sing his heart out, "It's the circleeeee of lifeee, and it moves us alllll. Through despair and hopeee. Through faith and loveeee. Till we find our placeee, on the path unwindingggg, in the circleeee. The circleeee of lifeeee!" Tony sung, twirling down onto the couch with a flourish as he snuggled into Gibbs' side, smiling up at the older man.

Gibbs grinned as he kissed the top of Tony's head and slid down the couch, holding onto Tony closely as they watched the movie together, with Tony's running commentary inserted "I want to meet Simba one day…" Tony said as he pointed at the fur ball lion on the screen.

Gibbs smiled as he ruffled Tony's hair lightly "Well, we can always go to the zoo. They have _tons_ of Simba's family members there." Gibbs said, chuckling softly at the bright light that lit up in Tony's eyes.

Tony pounced back up to his feet, grabbing Gibbs' shoulders, "Do they have Timon's and Pumbaa's too? And…and… effalents? And… and… Rafiki's?!" Tony asked excitedly, bouncing rapidly on the couch.

Gibbs laughed as he tackled Tony down to the couch, tickling him and reveling in the squeals of laughter that rolled from Tony and echoed off the walls, "They have all sorts of animals there, and I promise you, we'll go tomorrow, _if_ it's not raining! And we will see them all!" Gibbs said with a smile as he stopped tickling Tony, "But if you even _think_ about waking me up like Simba did tomorrow, we'll go to the history museum instead!" Gibbs threatened half-heartedly.

Tony giggled as he sat up on the couch again and shook his head rapidly "No history museum! I'll behave, I promise!" Tony said, crossing an X over his heart and smiling up at Gibbs.

Gibbs shook his head slowly as he relaxed in the couch again, "You've been hanging out with Abby far too much, you're picking up all her habits." Gibbs said as he looked down at Tony with a smirk.

Tony shrugged as he stuck his tongue out at Gibbs briefly, "She's fun to hang out with! Do you think she could go to the zoo with us?! That would be soooo much fun!" Tony squeaked with excitement.

Gibbs sighed and shook his head "Afraid not buddy. Abby has to work tomorrow, but… What if we took Tobias with us? He loves going to the zoo, and since its summer, Emily could probably go with us, how does that sound?" Gibbs asked with a grin.

Tony shook his head and laid his head against Gibbs' lap, yawning slightly "I'd rather just go with you… It'll be more fun… Toby is a little…" Tony shrugged, twisting his index finger in a circle around his temple to indicate that Tobias is crazy.

Gibbs laughed boisterously as he settled his hand on Tony's back, gently rubbing his hand up and down the boy's spine soothingly "Alright, just you and me buddy. We'll go to the zoo tomorrow and just enjoy the day, maybe even go to the diner…?" Gibbs said questioningly as he carded his fingers through the baby soft hair of Tony's blonde head.

Tony nodded tiredly as he kept his eyes on the TV screen, "I like the diner. Mae is really nice and always gives me extra whipped cream with my pancakes!" Tony said with a giggle.

Gibbs nodded as he pulled the blanket down off the back of the couch, covering Tony's body up with it as the young boy slowly fell asleep in his lap, "I think she does that to flirt with me and make a good impression. But, that's not going to work, no matter how much she spoils you…" Gibbs rambled on quietly as Tony fell into a deep and peaceful sleep as usual when watching the Lion King, Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief as he closed his own eyes, letting sleep claim him.

* * *

The next morning when Tony woke up, the sun hadn't even begun to rise, but his excitement of going to the zoo for the first time won out, he bounced out of bed and into the closet, shifting through the outfits on the lowered rack so he could reach them, he grabbed a white T-Shirt that said 'My Dad is a Super-hero' on it in orange and blue and a pair of jeans, quickly changing into them and slipping on a pair of socks, he ran out of the room and then into Gibbs' bedroom, bouncing up onto the bed excitedly.

Gibbs grunted from the pressure on his chest, cracking an eye open to look up at Tony who was sitting on his chest "Thought I said not to wake me up like Simba?" Gibbs asked, his voice thick with sleep.

Tony shook his head slowly "I didn't wake you up like Simba! I only climbed onto the bed and sat down on your chest! I didn't nudge you until you woke up and roared!" Tony said as he grinned brightly.

Gibbs laughed as he grabbed Tony by the sides, tickling him and rolling him down onto the bed, Tony laughed and squirmed on the bed. Gibbs sighed as he released Tony and looked over at his alarm clock, "The zoo isn't even opened yet T…" Gibbs said as he looked over at Tony again.

Tony shrugged and grinned brightly "Hakuna Matata!" Tony said, giggling as he watched Gibbs' brows furrow slightly "It means no worries!" Tony sing-songed as he bounced to his feet and tugged Gibbs' hand until the older man was sitting up.

Gibbs groaned as he wrapped his arm around Tony's waist and stood up "Alright, how about we go to the diner for breakfast, and hopefully by the time you scarf down your breakfast, the zoo will be opened… If not, we could always just walk around DC until it is opened?" Gibbs said questioningly, Tony nodded as he squirmed out of Gibbs' grasp and bolted out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

When Gibbs walked down the stairs, Tony was waiting patiently by the door, his shoes the wrong feet and untied. Gibbs laughed as he knelt in front of Tony and lifted his feet up "Now, tell me Anthony, when did you get two left feet?!" Gibbs asked as he pulled the shoes off each of Tony's feet and tickled his toes, Tony giggled as he wiggled his toes, and Gibbs grinned as he put the shoes on – the correct feet – then laced them up tightly enough.

* * *

Tony giggled excitedly as he took a seat in the booth at the diner across from Gibbs, pushing his knees into the bench seat to be of height with the table, Mae – the waitress – came over with a grin on her face "Mr. Gibbs! Little Gibbs! How are you both doing this morning?" Mae asked enthusiastically

Tony grinned charmingly up at Mae "I'm fine this morning Miss Mae! How are you?!" Tony asked, batting his eyelashes, his dimples flexing in and out of his cheeks.

Gibbs shook his head as he looked over the rim of his menu at Tony, "I'm also fine, Mae." Gibbs replied neutrally as he set his menu back down.

Mae nodded as she pinched Tony's cheek softly "I'm good Tony, thank you for asking. Would you boys like the usual?" Mae asked as she looked over at Gibbs, getting the curt nod from him she rolled her eyes as she turned back to Tony.

Tony nodded his head enthusiastically as he stood up on the bench "The usual is good!" Tony squeaked as he hugged Mae around the neck softly, planting a soft kiss to her cheek. Mae blushed as she patted Tony's cheek and quickly took off for the kitchen to put in the order.

Gibbs sighed as he kicked Tony's foot "Sit down. I'm not taking you to the ER if you fall off the seat." Gibbs said warningly, Tony pouted but listened as he popped back down onto the seat.

Mae returned with their breakfast ten minutes later, setting a whopping stack of pancakes – two – in front of Tony with a heaping mound of berries and whipped cream on top, and the breakfast platter – Two eggs, two sausages and four pieces of white bread, lightly buttered, a cup of black coffee for Gibbs and a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles for Tony "Alright boys, enjoy your breakfast. I'll be around if you need me! Just call!" Mae chirped as she headed off to attend to other diner patrons.

Tony giggled excitedly as he grabbed his fork, almost about to dig into his pancakes, "Nuh uh!" Gibbs scolded as he quickly pulled the plate away from Tony and began cutting the pieces up into small, bite-sized pieces. Tony pouted until Gibbs slid the plate back in front of him, "Aren't you going to put syrup on them?" Gibbs asked as he watched Tony shovel a few bites of pancakes into his mouth.

"Oh yeah!" Tony mumbled around a mouthful of pancakes, grabbing the syrup container poising it overtop the plate, liberally coating the plate and pancakes in the sticky syrup. Tony set the container back down onto the table and grinned widely up at Gibbs.

Gibbs laughed as he shook his head slowly, reaching over and ruffling Tony's hair lightly "Can I have a bite?" Gibbs asked with a smile, Tony nodded as he plucked a few bites of pancakes onto his fork, holding it out towards Gibbs with a smile. Gibbs leaned forward, pulling the pancakes off with his teeth and smiling "Mmm, very good! Now, eat up Tone. Big day ahead of us!" Gibbs said as he dug into his own breakfast, taking occasional sips of his coffee and keeping an eye on Tony who would take a few bites of his food, then sip his hot chocolate, copying Gibbs' movements penny for penny.

* * *

Tony grinned brightly as he wrapped his forearms around Gibbs' forehead, bouncing excitedly on Gibbs' shoulders as they walked through the front entrance of the National Zoo, "Go see Simba's!" Tony squealed excitedly as he leaned forward on top of Gibbs' head.

Gibbs laughed as he held onto Tony's legs to keep him from falling off his shoulders "Yes, we're going to go see the Lion's, Tony… And tigers, bears, snakes… All kinds of animals." Gibbs said, bouncing Tony up into the air slightly.

Tony giggled as he held on tighter to Gibbs' forehead, "Effalents, G-g-graffes… Hy… hyenas! Do Hyena's really laugh like in the movie?" Tony asked as he looked down at Gibbs again.

Gibbs nodded his head slightly, smiling as he pulled Tony down from his shoulders, hugging the small boy against his chest as he walked through the zoo slowly "Yep, Hyena's really do laugh. What do you know about giraffes?" Gibbs asked as he settled Tony on the ground, holding onto his hand and strolling leisurely with Tony.

Tony tapped his chin in contemplation, looking up at Gibbs "They have _really_ long necks!" Tony squeaked excitedly as he pulled Gibbs over to the first exhibit in sight, "Tiger!" Tony squealed as he pulled himself up onto the exhibit rail, looking over the wall at the tigers who were asleep.

Gibbs nodded as he picked Tony up for him to get a better look "Did you know that Tigers are the biggest of the cat species?" Gibbs asked, reading off the placard giving off information to visitors.

Tony shook his head, his mouth opened in awe and his eyes widened "You know _everything!_ " Tony exclaimed as he dropped back to the ground, dragging Gibbs to the next exhibit "LOOK! It's Simba's!" Tony squealed as he released Gibbs' hand and raced to the exhibit wall, pulling himself up to look down into the exhibit.

Gibbs inhaled deeply as he quickly caught up to Tony and grabbed him around the waist, hoisting him up into the air, "I see them! How many do you see Tony?" Gibbs asked with a grin as he nuzzled into the side of Tony's head.

Tony pointed to each of the lions in the exhibit, his bottom lip quivering in concentration "I… I see… seven!" Tony exclaimed happily, Gibbs chuckled and shook his head slightly.

"You've missed the cubs. There's ten of them all together. Look." Gibbs said softly, holding onto Tony's hand and pointing out all of the lions with him, "Show me your best lion roar Tony." Gibbs requested happily, a wide grin on his face.

Tony inhaled deeply "Roarrrrrr!" Tony belted out, then squealed happily when one of the male lions roared loudly, "He roared! Did you hear that dad?!" Tony shouted excitedly, the word dad slipping out unexpectedly.

Gibbs gaped a bit at the word, swallowing down the lump that had formed in his throat, "Yeah bud, I heard it. His roar was pretty mighty, but I still think you beat him." Gibbs said with a wink, Tony laughed as he wrapped his arms around Gibbs' neck, nuzzling into the warmth of the older man.

"What else is there to see?" Tony asked as he pulled the map out of Gibbs' jacket pocket.

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders as he picked Tony up and headed towards a table, sitting down with him. Tony stood up on the seat and spread the map out "Well, there are the primates…" Gibbs said, looking down at Tony, noticing the confused look on the young boys face "Monkeys." Gibbs clarified, "Elephants, Bears, and some sea creatures… What do you think sounds best?" Gibbs asked with a smile on his face.

Tony slapped his finger down onto the map randomly and looked up at Gibbs "Let's go there!" Tony exclaimed, grinning brightly.

Gibbs nodded as he looked down at Tony's finger on the map "Reptile exhibit. Snakes, turtles, alligators… Things like that. Good choice my boy." Gibbs said proudly as he folded the map back up, slipping it into his pocket as he stood and lifted Tony back up onto his shoulders.

* * *

Several hours later when Gibbs returned home, holding a sleeping Tony in his arms, he struggled to open the front door and juggle the boy and the large lion stuffed animal they got from the zoo. The door swung open and Tobias stood on the other side of the door with a raised eyebrow as he stepped out of the way to let Gibbs into the house.

"Have fun today?" Tobias asked curiously as he shut the door and followed Gibbs upstairs to Tony's bedroom.

Gibbs nodded his head slowly as he laid Tony down in the bed, placing the stuffed lion down beside Tony "Yeah, actually, we had an amazing day at the zoo." Gibbs said as he carefully pulled Tony's shoes off, setting them down on the floor "Of course, I think he had more fun than I did… But that's to be expected." Gibbs said as he and Tobias exited the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind them.

"How come I didn't get an invitation?" Tobias asked as the men sat down on the couch together, propping their feet up on the coffee table.

Gibbs shrugged as he laid his head back, yawning loudly into his fist "You had to work today, Tobias… Plus, Tony just wanted to spend the day alone with me. If we're ever going to learn how to live together, we do eventually have to spend time alone together, Tobias… As much as I appreciate your helping us out this past week, you have your own life, you need to get back to that life…" Gibbs said, his voice reflecting his exhaustion as he laid his head against the top of his shoulder.

Tobias sighed as he looked down at his feet, "Yeah… I understand Jethro. It's just been nice getting to know the kid… I'll head home then. I have to get up early tomorrow anyway…" Tobias said as he pushed himself up off the couch, heading towards the front door.

"Doesn't mean I'm kicking you out permanently Tobias. We just need some time together. Get used to each other's personalities and such." Gibbs said as he looked over at Tobias, a slight frown on his face. Tobias nodded his understanding and left the house quietly.


End file.
